Concentrator



Jan. 1930' E. w. WARFIELDV CONCENTRATOR Fil d 1m 1927 2 Sheets-Sheet a ATTORNEY.

1930- E. w. WARFI'ELD CONCENTRATOR Filed June 9, 1927 2 Sheets-Sheet 2 III lli'lilllll 1L Patented Jan. 28, 1930 UEMTE STATS PATENT OFFICE EDWIN W. WAR-FIELD, OF RUTHERFORD, NEW JERSEY, ASSIGNOR 0F ONE-HALF TO JOHN E. BUGI-IER, OF BUFFALO, NEW YORK GONGENTRATOR Application filed June 9, 1927.

My present invention relates to ore concentrators or panning machines and it has for its object to provide a device of this character for use in the handling of ores of precious or semi-precious metals in which crushed or pulverized ores or alluvial deposits can be treated rapidly in comparatively large quantities and a high percentage of the free minerals recovered at a minimum cost of operation.

A further object of my invention is to provide a concentrator in which a given quantity of ore may be treated in the presence of a sutiiciently large proportion of water held against a tendency of flow so that the minerals can be separated from the valueless gangue, the retardation of the flow of the water during the process of agitation to which the ore is subjected serving to assist the action of gravity in the recovery of the so called values.

Another object of the invention is to provide a concentrator having an ore treating receptacle in which ore introduced at one end may flow constantly in a stream of the desired size and be impelled by a continu ously acting conveyer over a foraminous surface and during such movement constantly subjected to a stirring action to facilitate the separation of the values from the gangue, the latter being eventually discharged as tailings and the former recovered for such subsequent treatment as may be required.

To these and other ends the invention consists in further improvements all as will be further described in the specification, the novel features being set forth in the appended claims.

In the drawings:

Fig. 1 is a side elevation illustrating one embodiment ofmy present invention;

Fig. 2 is a rear elevation looking toward the right-hand end of the apparatus illustrated in Fig. 1;

Fig. 3 is a detail vertical sectional view taken through a portion of the ore hopper along the line indicated by the section 8"3" of Fig.1;

Fig. 4; is a cross-sectional view of the ore Serial No. 197,629.

trough at the bottom of the receptacle taken on the line 4 L of Fig. 1;

Fig. 5 is a detail view showing in elevation one of the conveyor scrapers and its cooperating set of agitating fingers, taken on the line 5 -5 of Fig. 1;

Fig. 6 is atop plan view of the element shown in Fig. 5;

Fig. 7 is a perspective view of said elements; and

Fig. 8 is an enlarged detail view showing the co-operating stops on the guide rails and the trips arranged to engage therewith for the purpose of moving said fingers intermittently.

Similar reference characters in the several figures indicate similar parts.

An ore concentrator constructed in accordance with my present invention comprises a main frame within which is movably mounted a suitable receptacle adapted to contain both ore and water, within which operates a conveying apparatus by means of which the material containing the metal values may be advanced over or along the bottom of the receptacle and agitated in the presence of water in sufiicient volume to permit the free metal or values to be thoroughly separated from the so-called gangue, and allowed to settle under the influence of gravity into an underlying pan or launder from which the values may be intermittently discharged.

In carrying out my invention I provide a main frame which is of fabricated steel work comprising foundation members 1, corner uprights 2, top pieces 3 and cross members 4, the assembly of such members comprising front and rear side frames which at about their mid points carry parallel supporting rails 5. At one of the lower corners of the frame the foundation members are extended as indicated at 1*, and short uprights 6 are provided to form a bench 7 carrying the bearings 8 for the main drive shaft 9, to which rotary motion is imparted by a large pulley 10, which, it is understood, is driven by a belting connection to any suitable source of power.

The ore receptacle is supported for oscillatory movement on the rails 5 by means of rollers, or wheels, 11, attached to the side walls 12 and 13 of the receptacle. The latter is open at the top and at the left-hand end is provided with an ore hopper or chute, into which crushed or powdered ore er alluvial matter containing mineral values is introduced. The opposite, or right-hand end of the receptacle is, for convenience in description, referred to as the discharge end. The bottom of the receptacle is inclined downwardly from the two ends to an intermediate point providing at the inlet end an inclined surface 1-1, along which a continuous stream of ore descends, and also the inclined portion 15, along which the ore is carried while undergoing treatment until it reaches the point of discharge indicated by 16, from which the tailings escape by passing down the inclined apron 17.

The portion 15 of the bottom, along the longitudinal center line of the receptacle, is made in the form of a longitudinally extent ing depression or trough, as is best illustrated in Fig. 4. The bottom of the trough is foraminous to permit the metal values which have greater specific gravity to become separated from the larger mass of material. The open-work in the bottom of the trough constitutes a grizzly, which is preferably constructed of parallel steel bars 18, arranged. in semi-circular form and placed as a continuation of the lining 19 of the trough, which is supported on the inside of the body or shell 20 of the receptacle. These parts being particularly subject to wear are made in such form that they can be readily replaced, the grizzly being held in position by a plurality of strips 21. removably held in place by bolts 22. Underlying the grizzly and extending lengthwise thereof is a pan, or launder, 23, the inner face of which is supported slightly below the straps 21, and is reniovahly held in position by bolts 24, a series of which are arranged along the side edges of the pan. The latter, at its lower end, discharges into a receptacle 25. having a bottom opening which is controlled by a gate valve 26.

Reciprocating motion is imparted to the receptacle by an eccentric 30, carried on the drive shaft 9, and a connected arm or pitman attached at a convenient point to the receptacle, as, for instance, the point 32 located beneath the apron 17. Provision may also be made for periodically opening and closing the bottom of the receptacle to discharge the values received from the bot-tom of the launder, as an illustration, of which I have shown a rod 33 connected to the gate 26 loosely at the point indicated by 34, to permit the longitudinal movement of the receptacle as a whole, and co-operating at its opposite e):- tremity with a. cam 35 on the counter-shaft 36, driven at a reduced rate of speedby the large sprocket wheel 37- connected. by a drive chain 38, with a smaller sprocket wheel 39 on the drive shaft 9.

The hopper at the end of the receptacle, at which the crushed ore or similar material is introduced, is merely of suflicient size to in sure a continuous flow of the material to be treated, and it comprises an inner wall 38 and a plurality of off-set bafiles 39, the lower end of the wall 38 itself extending downwardly sufficiently near to the bottom 14.- to comprise abattle, which regulates the stream of material passing out of the hop 301. This wall is preferably perforated and the baffles 39 are either perforated or made in the form of slats to facilitate the action of the stream of water which is constantly fed to the receptacle from an inlet source. indicated by the supply pipe 40. On the side walls 12 and 13 of the receptacle inwardly extending baflles 41 are provided, a sulficient number of which are used to hold the body of water with which the receptacle is filled in as quiescent a state as possible within the rapidly reciprocating receptacle. These battles, in other words, tend to impede the flow of the water sufficient ly so that as the valuable particles of mineral are separated from the mass of material they will have an opportunity to settle into the launder and not be carried away by the ex cess water which passes out with the tailings.

I have provided an especial type of conveyor which serves to thoroughly agitate the crushed ore, while causing. it to slowly advance continuously along the trough 15. This is made in the form of an endless conveyor, which is suspended from the top cross rails 3 of the main frame on hangers 12, so that it is independent of the receptacle and its operating portions travels in a line parallel to the bottom of the trough or grizzly 18. This con veyor generally comprises the necessary frame work carrying the front and rear shafts 4?) and 4 1-, and the connecting guides which sup port the upper and lower stretches of the conveyor. T he guide rails ust referred to coinprise an upper rail 45 andtwo parallel bottom rails 46 and 47, and these are arranged in duplicate sets, spaced apart and positioned above the two sides of the trough-shaped bottom 15 of the ore receptacle. These rails support the ore conveying and agitating elements of the conveyor, which latter are located at intervals and connected by chain links and so arranged that they will pass around the shafts 43 and -14 as the latter are rotated. Power is applied to the shaft 4% by a drive chain 18, which passes around the sprocket wheel 49 on the lastmentioned shaft, and a similar sprocket 50011 the shaft 51, which also carries a. larger sprocket 52, connected by the drive chain 53 with the sprocket 5 1 and the shaft 55, which in turn is rotated by the larger sprocket 56 carrying the drive chain 57, meshing with the sprocket 58 on the main drive shaft. 9.. Iv also deem: it advisable; to

drive the second conveyor supporting shaft 43 positively, and for this reason I provide the shaft 44 with a second sprocket wheel 65, and the shaft 43 with a similar sprocket 66, and connect them by the drive chain 67.

The parallel faces of the two lower sets of conveyor guides form a channel which is adjacent the edges of the trough 15, and serve to hold the scrapers of the conveyor in proper position with reference to the bottom of the trough and prevent their becoming displaced by the pressure of the ore against them, due in part to its resistance in being moved over the grizzly, and also to the continuous vibratory movement imparted to the receptacle.

In order to satisfactorily handle the ore I have also provided an improved form of scraper as a component part of the conveyor, which is especially rugged in its construct-ion and adapted to withstand the hard wear and use to which said parts are subjected.

The construction of this scraper is illus trated particularly in detail in Figs. 5, 6, and 7. It comprises a steel plate 68 of substantial thickness, shaped at its lower end to fit loosely within the interior of the trough 15, and its upper end projects above the plane of the guide 46. On the forward face of this plate are two angle irons 69 and 70, and on its rear side are similar reinforcements indicated by 69 and 7 0. These elements are rigidly secured to the opposite faces of the plate, and are positioned thereon so that the outer flanges or webs of the front and rear pairs of angle irons lie in the same planes at the edges of the plate 68, and afford considerable bearing surface against the inner faces of the two sets of guide rails 46 and 47, and thus serve to hold the plate against both lateral and twisting movements. These webs also serve as supports or hearings on which the carrying rollers for the scrapers are mounted. There are two pairs of these rollers, one pair being at the forward side of the scrapers, as indicated by 71 and 72, journalled on the shaft 73, the other pair being indicated by 74 and 75, carried on the extremities of the shaft 76. Secured to the forward side of the upper end of the scraper plate 68 and resting on the upper ends of the angle pieces 69 and 70, is a plate or cross-bar 77 which serves as a means of attachment of the chain links of the conveyor, which are indicated by 78 and 79 in Fi g. 5. Extending forwardly from the plate and resting on the guides 47 are scrapers 80, the outer ends of which extend laterally at an angle in front of the rollers 71 and 72, and serve to keep the guides free from ore or gravel in front of the roller.

Associated with each of the scrapers is an agitator which is operated intermittently to stir up the material which is being moved forwardly by the scrapers. In the preferred embodiment of my invention this agitator comprises a plurality of fingers 81, which depend from the shaft 73, and are rigidly attached thereto, provision being made for periodically oscillating this shaft in opposite directions so as to move the lower ends of the fingers relatively toward and from the lower end of their associate scraper 68. On the ends of the shafts 73 there are rigidly secured trips 82 and 83, the former having a pointed end extending downwardly and the latter similarly shaped and arranged with its pointed end extending upwardly. Attached to one of the guide rails 47 on which the lower stretch of the conveyor rests and placed at frequent intervals throughoutits length are stops 84, which co-operate with the trip 82, and depending from the oppositely disposed upper guide rail 46 are similar stops 85 which cooperate with the trip 83. The forward faces of these stops are bevelled, as shown in Fig. 8, and serve when engaged by the trips 82 and 83, respectively, to turn the shaft 73 first in one direction and then in the other, but as these stops 84 and 85 are arranged out of alinement oscillation of the shaft occurs during the continued movement of the conveyor in a lineal direction, thus an intermittent flipping motion is imparted to the lower ends of the fingers 81, and as these are in contact with the accumulation of material on the grizzly which is being moved forwardly by means of the scrapers 68 these masses are continually subjected to agitation in the presence of the water containedin the receptacle, thus greatly increasing the tendency to wash out or separate the values from the gangue.

it" hat I claim is 1. In aconcentrator the combination with a receptacle for ore and water having an inclined. bottom, and endless conveyor therein carrying scrapers for moving material along s; id bottom, of ore agitating tingers carried by the conveyor and d'sposed in front of said scrapers and means for oscillating saic fingers to continually stir the mass of material which is being moved by the scrapers.

2. In a concentrator, the combination with an ore receptacle having a bottom and guide rails therein, a conveyor comprising spaced scrapers guided on the rails and agitating scrapers disposed in front of the fingers, of cooperating tripping devices on the rails and said fingers serving to intermittently move them ton ard and from their associated scrapcrs.

3. In a concentrator, the combination with an ore receptacle, a guide rail therein, a conveyor comprising a scraper traversing the bottom of the receptacle and supported by the rail, of a set of fin ers carried by the conveyor for agitating material impelled along said bottom by the scraper and cooperating devices on said set of fingers and the rail for imparting an independent swinging movement to the fingers.

4. In a concentrator, the combination with an ore neceptacle having a bottom and parallel spaced guides therein, a conveyor comprising spaced scrapers having, journals carrying roilers-bearing on the guides, of a set of fingers supported in said journals and extending into proximity with the bottom of the receptacle, stops on the rails and tries on the fingers cooperating during the longitudinal movement of the conveyor to swing the depending ends of the fingers toward and from-their associated scrapers.

5. A scraper for an ore concentrator conveyor comprising a: blade portion, angle iron backing pieces secured to the front and rear faces of the blade and arranged each with one edge extending laterally at one edge oi the blade thus serving to hold the blade against both lateral and twisting moven'ients, ore agitating fingers disposed within the space defined by the Hanging portions of the angle iron backing pieces on the front face of the plate and means for supporting the device as :r whole upon a suitable guide;

6. A scraper and agitator unit for an ore concentrator conveyor comprising; a scraper blade having journals and means for support ing it upon a suitable guide, a shaft supported in the journals and a plurality of fingers depending therefrom at one side of the blade and" means on the shaft for svinging the fingers relatively to the blade.

7. In a' mineral concentrator, the combina tion with an ore receptacle having a bottom and a conveyor and means depending from said conveyor for continuously moving a mass of material along said bottom, of pivoted ore agitating fingers also depending from the conveyor into proximity with said bottom and disposed in front of said nieces and further means acting duriinr the la tudinalmovement of the conveyor and 0'. mass of material for continuously and alternately swinging the fingers in opposite directions to continuously stir the ore m 1 21s the latter is continuously moved by said iirst mentioned means.

8. In a mineral concentrator the combination with an ore receptacle having a bottonL an endless conveyor and guides they-ct ind means associated with said conveyor tor mow ing a mass of material along said bottoizi. oi? ore agitating lingers depending from the conveyor into proximity with said bottom, two sets of stops disposed one at each side oi the path of the conveyor and trips connected to the fingers and alternately engaging the stops of each step to impart a rocking move ment to the fingers periodically as they travel along the bottom of the receptacle, th reby continually stirring the ore mass, while the latter is being moved by said means.

EDWIN lV. VVARFIELD. 

